Friction draft and buffing apparatus.



J. H. MCCORMICK. FmcloN DRAFT AND BUFFING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. Y. 1.907.

Patented Apr. 20, 15H55 .roma H. Meccanica, or COLUMBUS, onro.

FRIOTION DRAFT AND BUJEFING- APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratentea am. fao, rara.

Application led December 7, 1907. Serial No. 405,491.

T0 all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN MCCORMICK, citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Uhio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Friction Draft and Builing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to friction draft and buffing apparatus for cars and the objects of my invention are to provide an improved apparatus of this character in which 1s. embodied means for increasing the frictional contact of the binding parts and for equalizing the distribution of the frictional contact; to provide imprpved means for releasing or assisting in the release of the fr1ctionally united parts; to accomplish these objects by the employment of comparatlvely few parts combined in a simple manner and to produce other improvements the details of construction of which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects l accomplish in the mannerillustrated 1n the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a plan View of my improved draft and bufting apparatus, Fig. 2 is a sectional view' on line g/-y of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line m-/ of Fig. 1, and, Fig. 4 -isa reduced plan view of a wedging yoke which I employ in the manner hereinafter set forth.

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Similar numerals refer to similar throughout the several views.

1 represent parallel side sills, with the inner sides of which are suitably connected longitudinally arranged cheek plates 2, said cheek plates being formed with laterally projecting ribs 2 in their end portions, with which are connected by means of bolts 3, longitudinally disposed carrying bars 4. Between the upper inturned flanges 1a of parts i the cheek platesvand the upper surfaces of the bars 4, is mounted a casing 5 of suitable form in cross section and having its inner or forward end open, as shown. As indicated in the drawing, the inner surface of the casing is slightly inclined upward and toward its outer end.

6 represents a yoke orl elongated lU-shaped bar which embraces the central portion of the casing 5, the outer end of said yoke embracing the outer end of said casing and the parallel members of the yoke passing respectively over and beneath the central portion of the casing and having their ends ed, as shown,

bolted as indicated at .7 to the draw portion of which is indicated at 8.y

9 represents a friction'or follower member, the inner end or head of which is adaptto bear between the inner faces of the yoke 6 and to abut against the draw bar 8. This friction member 9 extends from said draw bar outward or rearward, saidextended portion which is indicated more clearly at 9a having a sliding or frictional contact with the inner face of the upper portion of the casing 5, this'contacting surface of the member 9 being inclined toward its rear end, as shown. In its inner portion the friction member 9 is formed with an upwardly and outwardly inclined wall 10, the under and outer side surface of which forms an inclined wedging face for ythe purpose hereinafter described. In its upper portion the inclined wall 10 is extended horizontally forward for a short distance to meet a transverse wall 11 which extends downward from the upper portion of the member 9. Beyond or on the outer side of this wall 11, the extension portion 9a of the friction member 9 is comparatively narrow, presenting throughout the greater portion of its length, a straight horizontal underside surface 9b.

12 represents a second friction member which is supported within the lower portion of the casing 5 and which has the outer or rear end portion of its sides projected upwardly, said upwardly projecting portion presenting inclined faces as indicated at 13, which faces are parallel with the underside face of the wall 10 of the member9. The friction member 12 is of the substantially channel form indicated in Fig.v 3 of the drawing, and has formed therewith preferably at a point in front of the center of its length, an upwardly extending stop wall or partition 14. The outer surface of the member 12 which contacts with the inner surface of the casing 5, is inclined as shown toward its rear end.

15 represents a yoke or U-shaped wedge, of which 15a represents the head or transverse portion thereof and 15b represent the parallel outwardly or rearwardly inclined arms. This yoke which is supported upon the upturned sides of the member 12, has its arms 15b extending on opposite sides of the walls or partitions 11 and 14 and the inner end portion 152L is formed at its ends, as shown at 15C, with inclined upper faces which are parallel to the inclined face of the bar, a

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wall 10 of the member 9 andv which are normally separated, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, from said wall. That portion of the yoke head or inner end which lies between the portions 15c is, as shown at 15d, reduced materially in size from those portions ha-ving the inclined faces described. The outer ends of the yoke arms 15b are inclined and as shown partly in full lines and partly in dotted lines, these inclined ends are adapted to contact with the inclinedsurfaces 13 of the end projections of the member 12. Bearing within the space between the downwardly and upwardly projecting internal walls or partial partitions 11 and 14 of the members 9 and 12, is a comparatively short coiled spring 1G and interposed between the outer surface of the Wall 14 and the inner side of the outer end of the casing 5 is a longer spring 17. This latter spring normally separates the outer end of the inner friction'member 9 from the outer end of the casing 5.

In the bulflng action of the parts, it will be understood that an outward impetus in the direction of the dotted arrow in Fig. 2, will be imparted to the member 9, resulting in bringing the inclined under-surface of the wall 10 into wedging engagement withthe correspondingly inclined surfaces 15 of the wedge yoke head 15a. In this movement it will be seen that the short spring 16 will be compressed between the walls 11 and 14 and through outward movement of the member 9, will result not only in the compression of the spring 17 between the wall 14 and the outer end of the casing, thereby increasing resistance of said outward movement, but will also result through the forcing of the inclined wall 10 upward on the inclined face of the yoke 15, in a binding or increased frietional engagement of the outer surfaces of the member 9 with'the innersurfaces of the-member 12 Iand this binding action is increased or intensified through the tapering of the frictional surfaces of the two friction members. The wedging action of the inclined surface of the wall 10 and the inclined faces of the head of the wedge yoke,

will be accompanied by a similar wedging action of the inclined ends ofthe yoke arms with the inclined surfaces 13 of the projecting end portions of the member 12,

thereby producing the desired frictional engagement of the friction members in the outer as Well as in the inner portion of the device, whereby a desirable distribution of the friction is attained.

Owing to the fact that the central portion 15d of the wedge yoke head is materially reduced in size, the yoke side arms 15b are permitted a certain degreeof independent movement or iexibility, thus providing for a slight advancement of one yoke arm beyond the other to compensate for any inequality in the bearing surfaces of said arms, or the surfaces of the parts with which they contact. It is obvious that this slight independent movement of the yoke arms, may also compensate for surface inequalities in the friction members which are effected indirectly by the movement of the yoke, thereby obviating the necessity of the friction surfaces of the various parts being machined or finished to a high degree of accuracy or uniformity.

In the outward pull on the coupler or draw bar, it is evident that the compression heretofore described of the spring 16, will assist in the initial separation of the walls 14 ,and 11 and the spring 17 will operate in conjunction with said spring 16 in forcing the friction members forward. The employment of the two springs as described, will serve to cushion the parts against the effects of sudden jar or concussion.

It will be observed that in the construetion of my improved friction draft and buihng apparatus, I attain the objects of the invention by the employment of comparatively few parts, thus rendering the device simple in construction and operation.

What I claim, is: p

1. In a friction draft and buing apparatus, the combination with two members having friction faces and parallel wedging faces, of a casing having friction faces contacting with the friction faces of the friction members, a spring bearing directly against one end of the casing at one end and against -one of the friction members at its opposite end, and means for imparting motion to the parts and means for limiting the movement of the parts.

2. In a friction draft andbuiiing apparatus, the combination with two friction members havingwedging faces parallel with each other, of a spring resisting the movement of the friction members toward each other, a casing against which the friction members bear, and a spring resisting the movement of the casing and the friction elements.

3. In a friction draft and buiing apparatus, the combination with an inner follower element having friction and wedging faces, of a second friction element having a parallel wedging face, a casing, and a double ended wedge having wedging contact with both of the friction members at each end of said wedge.

4. In a friction draft and buing apparatus, the combination with two friction elements having parallel wedging faces, of a casing against which the friction elements bear, a resisting spring, and a double ended wedge having wedging contact with both of the friction members at each end of said wedge.

5. In a friction draft and buiiing apparani'aaoaa tus, the combination with two friction elements having parallel Wedging faces f normally separated, of an intermediate spring, a casing against which the friction elements bear, and a spring resisting themovement of the parts under buiing and draft.

fn a friction draft and bung apparatus, the combination with a casing tapering from its open end, of two friction elements having normally separated parallel wedging faces to permit of preliminary movement of one element, and a spring bearing directly against the casing and resisting the movement of the friction elements.

7. ln a friction draft and bung apparatus, the combination with a casing having friction faces tapered toward each other from the open end, of two friction elements having wedging faces inclined alike, and a double wedge having wedging contact with both of the friction elements at each of its ends.

8. fn a friction draft and bug apparatus, the combination with a casing having friction faces, of two friction elements having vvedging faces inclined alike, pressure distributing means, a spring resisting the movement of the friction elements toward each other, and a spring opposing the movement of the friction elements between each other.

9. lin a friction draft and bung apparatus, the combination with a pair of members having friction faces and having parallel wedging faces, of a floating wedge having parallel wedging faces at its oppositeends disposed between the first named members, said wedge having wedging contact with both of the friction members atyeach end of said wedge. I

testimony whereof f aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN li-l. MCCRMCK. Witnesses:

fl.. C. SHEPHERD, A.. L. Ps. 

